Barclays' profit before tax swells 92 per cent to $18.2 billion

16 Feb 2010

British bank Barclays Plc today reported full-year 2009 profit before tax of over £11.6 billion ($18.18 billion), helped by the strength of its investment banking business.

The 2009 earnings represent a 92 per cent increase from the £6.1 billion in 2008. Earnings were boosted by a £6.3 billion gain on the sale of Barclays Global Investors asset management arm.

Excluding the £6.3 billion profit on disposal of Barclays.

Global Investors (BGI), Barclays said, its underlying profit was £5.6 billion, up from £1.6 billion in 2008.

Barclays has declared a final dividend of 1.5p per share, taking the total declared dividend to 2.5p per share.

Barclays Capital's top-line income grew 81 per cent £8.0 billion to £17.86 billion (£9.86 billion in 2008), with very strong performances across client franchises in the UK and Europe and a transformation in the scale and service offering in the US, the bank said.